


Anatomy Lessons

by fawatson



Category: The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2011-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-28 01:46:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/302370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawatson/pseuds/fawatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Mother saw in the woodshed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anatomy Lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [toujours_nigel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/toujours_nigel/gifts).



> **Request:** Anything you write would be amazing, but maybe pre-chapter 3 fic? Or, in the case of Andrew and Alec, or, hell, Ralph, simply back-story? I love character-driven stuff, basically. :)
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters and make no profit from them.
> 
>  **Author’s Notes** : This story is based on the throwaway comment Ralph makes to Laurie in Chapter 8 about the reason he was sent to school: “She saw me aged six, and the little girl next door aged seven, rather solemnly discussing anatomy.”; (b) More fanfic set in this universe can be found at http://maryrenaultfics.livejournal.com/

He knew he was in trouble. Ralph could hear them talking downstairs: his parents, of course, but also Uncle Jack and his grandfather. It wasn’t the first time he’d been told off for doing something wrong. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a switch taken to him, or heard Father remonstrate with Mother about it afterwards. But it _was_ the first time Uncle Jack and Granddad had been called in. It was _serious_ this time.

Ralph was used to being in trouble. He used to be told off for collecting things, until he’d learned to keep things like his ant colony in a shed at the bottom of the garden. He always seemed to lose buttons, or collect grass stains on his knees, or tear the elbows of his pullovers when he played games; he’d learned to change as soon as he got in or face his mother’s tears. Last month he’d been told off when he brought home a stray puppy he’d found. His mother had flown into a temper and said it should be drowned. He’d hidden the little dog in the garden shed for a couple of days, playing with it in secret and feeding it on scraps, until he’d, thankfully, found a school friend to take him. But those had been minor scrapes compared with today.

He’d been playing with Jane in the garden. She was very silly (all she ever wanted to do was play with dolls) but better than no one to play with at all. _Her_ mother had dropped her off to stay for the day while she went to the shops; and _his_ mother had told him to take Jane out to the garden, as she was feeling one of her sick headaches coming on and needed a bit of peace and quiet.

Ralph had suggested they climb up to the treehouse; but Jane had been scared halfway up and gone back down. Next he’d suggested a game of tag; and they’d done that for a bit. But tag wasn’t really much fun with only two people; and both soon tired of that. He’d shown her all his treasures in the shed: his pocket knife; and the shell from the day at the beach; and his cricket bat; and the stuffed squirrel he’d saved from the rubbish pile when they were doing out the house next door. Jane had squealed at the ant farm. Of course she was just a girl; and it wasn’t her fault, really. But he’d been at a loss for what to do to keep her entertained, until she’d suggested they play house. She was to be mother and he was to be father; and they used her dolls as the children. She’d brought two with her – one with long gold curls and the other dressed like a bride. She’d made a pretend meal, and served it to him; and he had to pretend to eat it, and then they got undressed and went to bed. At which point, Ralph appreciated a few more of the differences between Jane and him. (It was the first time he’d seen a girl without clothes.) She had a good look at _him_ and he a good look at _her_ ; and they both started giggling. They’d just about managed to sober up, and were discussing those differences, when Mother had arrived.

Jane’s mother had got back early and come over to pick her up, so Mother had brought her down to the bottom of the garden to find her daughter. Jane had been scolded for playing doctor when she’d been told before it wasn’t nice, and whisked off back home. Mother had ordered him to his room. Later she’d come upstairs, and told him he was a wicked boy, and she had never been so disgusted in her life before. She’d given him seven strokes with the switch; and then made him kneel down and pray for forgiveness, before she’d told him to get into his pyjamas as he had to stay in his room for the rest of the day. She’d said she’d rung Father to tell him he needed to come home early to deal with him.

That had never happened before. In the past Mother had always told him off herself, and Father had only been told when he got back home from work. But this time when she spoke, she got bright red and her mouth twisted up in a very peculiar way. She’d left him the Bible to read. Not that Ralph minded that – there were some cracking stories in the Bible. But he didn’t think she’d meant it that way – and he knew he was in disgrace (even if he wasn’t quite sure what for).

The clock chimed the hour; Ralph could still hear them talking downstairs. Father had come home early; and then Uncle Jack and Granddad had come over. They had been here _ages_ (and he had been left in his room ages too!). No matter how hard he strained, he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Curiosity getting the better of him (he knew they were discussing _him_ after all), Ralph quietly opened the door to his room. The voices were a bit louder but still muffled enough he couldn’t properly make out the words. Ralph kicked off his slippers, in case they made a noise, and crept down the stairs in stocking feet. The sitting room door was closed but he crouched down to look through the keyhole.

“You make too much of it Constance,” Uncle Jack said. “When all is said and done, boys will be boys.”

Mother was sitting on the sofa holding a handkerchief to her face. Her eyes and nose were red so Ralph knew she must have been crying for a while, though she wasn’t crying now.

“I’ll never be able to hold my head up in church ever again,” she wept. “It’s such a disgrace - _he’s_ such a disgrace. To think that a son of mine could _do_ such wickedness!”

“For pity’s sake, Constance – he’s only six! She’s seven. What do you think children that age can _do_ to each other?” said Father. “You’ve had the lad locked in his room ever since it happened. Don’t you think it’s all getting blown just a little out of proportion?”

From his position by the keyhole Ralph felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t been locked in his room. It had clearly never occurred to his mother he should be locked in his room (nor to him either). He’d been told to stay put, and he had. It was only because everything downstairs had been taking so _long_ that he’d left the purgatory of his room and come downstairs against parental diktat.

“What about the new baby,” asked Mother, “what if he does something like this to _his sister_ after she’s born.” She began to cry again.

It was the first Ralph had heard he was to have a little sister. He wondered if she’d be as silly as Jane. He thought he’d rather have a brother; but he supposed his mother wanted a girl, and had convinced Father to get him a sister instead of a brother. He wasn’t surprised; Ralph had always known that Father might be called the Head of the House but it was really Mother who made the rules.

The meaningful glances his father exchanged with his Uncle Jack and Granddad, over his mother’s head were lost on Ralph.

“She’s in a delicate condition,” said Granddad, “you’d best humour her. After all, you don’t want her miscarrying again.”

“Well, I think it’s time the lad went away to school,” said Uncle Jack. “Playing _house _!” His voice was scathing. “That’s a sissy game for a boy. School will knock some sense into him.”__

“The fees, though– ” protested Father, “I hadn’t reckoned on school fees for a year or two yet.”

“Leave that to me,” said Granddad. He got up from his chair and looked round for his cane.

Recognising the signs of imminent departure Ralph scarpered upstairs to his room to mull over the scene he had just witnessed. A sister – and school!


End file.
